Power-transmitting device.



E. & L. c; UPTON.

POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1911.

1 10 903 PatentedAug. 11,1914,

6 8HEETBSHEET 1.

E. & L. G. UPTON.

POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1911. ,1 06,903.

Patented Aug. '11, 19M

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' E. & L. G. UPTON.

POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.-

AIPLIOATION FILED JAN. 17, 1911.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914. j

I 771071 @755? QZZ; qglwwm E. 6; L. G. UPTON. POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE".

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1911.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914-.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Iwwry 7, 3%

Wfiirzesea E. & L. O. UPTON.

POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE. APPLICATION I'ILED 11.11.17, 1911.

1,106,903, 1 Patented Aug.11,1914,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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UNITED STATES Para amour men, or neuron HARBOR, MICHIGAN, AND'LOUIS c; UPTON, or La seamen,

ELINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 UPTON MACHINEOQ, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

POWER-TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1191141.

To ellcchom it may concern Be it known that we, EMORY Ur'ron a'nd LOUIS C. UPTON, citizens of the United States, respectively residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, andat- La Grange, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PowerrTrans-mitting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

power transmitting devices, and has especial reference to transmitting devices for use in association with clothes washing and wringing machines.

One of the objects of our invention is to 1 character of motion thereof readily governed.

Another object of our invention is generally to improve the details of structure of the class of devices referred to.

Further objects of our invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification taken in conjunction with the drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is an end elevation of a washing machine with the .device appended thereto; Fig. 2 is a similar enlarged view with parts of the structure broken away and the main drive wheel removed for clearness of illustration; Fig. 3 ,is a side elevation of the device, showing some of the parts in section; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing parts broken away and other parts in section; Fig. 5 is a sectional-view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;Fi 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the c utch mechanism for disengaging the oscillatin clothes receptacle from the main shaft; ig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8- 8 of Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a sectional View of the clutch-moving lever and parts for operating the clutch shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Our invention relates to improvements in- In all of the views the same reference characters indicate similar parts.

In the particular washing machine with which our transmitting mechanism is shown to be associated the suds receptacle 10 is comprised of, a structure consisting of wooden side walls 1l1l, and a curved, preferably metallic, bottom wall 12, having, preferably, a metallic cover 12. The struc ture is so ported upon four legs 13-13, rovided wi cross pieces 14 and 15, near t eir bottom ends. The clothes rece tacle or holder 16 is preferably composed of a curved perforated metallic wall 17 having preferably wooden walls 18, bein slightly fiattened at its top, and provide with a preferably wooden cover 19, hinged as at 20. The curved side walls 17 are preferably perforated as at 21, and provided with interior ribs, 22, spaced apart at intervals. Secured at the rear end of the clothes receptacle, and axially therewith, is a gudgeon, 23, preferably a projecting casting for rotary engage ment with a supporting casting 24, secured to the side wall 11. At the other end of the clothes receptacle is a generally similar casting 25 provided at its projecting axis, as at 26, with a flat late for engagement with an operating mec anism, to be hereinafter described.

Secured t0 the upper edge of the structure is a clothes \vringcr, 27, provided with the usual rollers 28 and 29 and having a power shaft 30 projecting therefrom.

At the upper edge of the wall 11. of the suds-retaining receptacle is a laterally projecting part 31, to which is secured a vertically projecting part- 32, forming a partial housing under or within which most of the power transmission mechanism is contained,

Will

the latter being secured to the Wall 11 and the parts 31 and 32.

A projecting boss, 34, provides a bearing stud 35 for the main drive member 36, which in this case is preferably a sheave adapted to be driven by a rope or belt 37. Secured to the sheave, as by means of a pin 38 is a pinion gear 39. The transmitting sheave 36, and the pinion 39, are retained in place on the bearing stud 35 by means of the screw 40. The pinion makes transmitting engagement with a gear wheel 41, which is secured on the stud shaft 42 by means of the screw 43. The stud shaft 42 is secured in the casting 33 in a rearwardly projecting boss 44 by ing means of a pin 45, thus securely holding the shaft 42 in stationary and .rigid position.

Securedto the gear wheel 41 is a bevel gear 46, as by means of a pin 47. The gear wheel 41 and the beveled pinion 46 areto be freely revolved on the projecting end of the stud shaft 42. Outwardly projecting from the plate 33 are shaft bearing brackets 48 and 49, 50 and 51 (Fig. 2).

A shaft 52 is contained in the bearing 48 to the projecting end of which is secured a beveled gear 53, and to which is also secured a spur geared pinion 54. Coaxially arranged with the shaft 52 is a somewhat longer shaft 55 having hearings in the bracket 49, to the end of which shaft is secured a similar beveled gear wheel 56. The beveled gear wheel 46 makes constant driving engagement with the beveled gear wheels 53 and 56, and when rotated turns both the latter two gear wheels in opposite directions. Secured to the end wall 11 by screws 57 is a plate 58 containing a projecting bracket providing a shaft bearing 59. Within this bear- .ing is a shaft sleeve 60, Fig. 7, to the outer end of which is secured a beveled gear wheel 61. The opposite end of the sleeve 60 is expanded into a disk 62, provided with notches 63 in its periphery. A coacting clutch member 64 connects the shaft 55 to the sleeve 60. The disk 62 of the sleeve 60 forms one element of the clutch, the other element is slidingly movable upon the shaft 55 and comprises'a fixed sleeve 65, secured to the shaft 55 by means of a feather or key 66. The

sleeve 65 is provided with two grooves on opposite sides of its diameter in which freely slide the connecting feathers 67.

Loosely mounted on the sleeve 65 is a ring 68, provided with an annular groove 69. The feathers or keys 67 are secured to the ring 68, as by means of pins 70.. Loosely lying in the grooves 69 is a shifting fork 71, provided with a boss 72 on its upper end and secured to a rod 73, the rod being su ported in bearing and depending brackets 4 with its end 75 slightly turned at a substantial right angle, and having loose engagement witha shifting lever 76, Fig. 9, the latter being pivotally supported on the upright- 32 by means of the screw 77 passing through a plate 78 which is properly secured to the upright 32. A sprung-pressed tapered slidstud 79 makes frictional bearing contact on either side of the lever 76 when the latter is thrown in a direction to engage the shifting clutch member 64, or to disengage it from the cotiperating member, so that the shifting lever will be thereby retained in the position in which it has been placed. The clutch member 64, by the operation of the shifting lever 76 controls the operation of the clothes retaining receptacle 16. 1

The mechanism which operates the oscilin which a stud shaft 81 has rotary bearing. Secured to the shaft 81, as by a key 82, is a bevel gear 83. The shaft 81 has an outer bearing 84 in the yoke piece 85,- which is preferably an integral part of the plate 58.

To the outer end of the shaft 81 is secured a crank arm 86, having a crank pin 87 on its free end. An outwardly squared bearing block 88 surrounds the crank pin 87, andis provided with two conical projections 89 and 90. A pitman rod 91, Fig. 2, is pivotally connected to a sliding rack 92, as by a screw 93, and contains in its other end a slot 94, in which the squared bearing block is prevented from turning but'is free to move therein longitudinally. A screw 96 takes in the end of the crank pin 87, and by means of the washer 95 holds the pitman rod 91 and the squared'beari'ng block in operative position with relation to the crank pin. At opposite ends of the slot 94, in the pitman rod, and within said slot, are conical or nippled projections 97 and 98, cotiperating with the similar devices 89 and 90 for holding the springs 99 and 100 in their respective positions within the slot. These are tension or take-up springs to admit of positive definite motion of the crank arm with relation to the variably moving sliding rack 92. Brackets 101102 support the rack guide 103, in which the rack 92 is freely moved when the crank arm 86 is rotated.

Meshing with the rack 92 is a segmental gear 105 secured to a shaft 106, as by means of a set screw 107. Secured to the wall 11 by means of screws 108 is a circular plate 109, Fig. 5, from which outwardly projects a hollow bearing stud 110, which forms a bearing for the oscillating shaft 106. The.

shaft 106 is provided with an enlarged end 111, containing an elongated slot 112, in"

which the flattened gudgeon 26 of the clothes-containing receptacle 16 rests, and by this means the clothes receptacle is oscil lated when the shaft 106 is oscillated by the mechanism intervening between the constantly rotating shaft 55 and said clothesreceptacle, in a manner clearly apparent. A11

elongated slot 112 provides a means for conveniently removing the clothes-containing receptacle from the suds receptacle and the elongated or flattened gudgeon 26, in the slot 112, provides a positive means through which power-may be transmitted. A wearing plate 112 protects the wooden wall 11 from excessive wear.

The mechanism which we have described may be operated by any convenient power, such as a gas engine, or an electric motor, the latter being indicated by 115, through power sheave 36.

We will now describe that part of the.

power transmission device necessary to operate the wrmger..

In the rotation of the wringer rolls, it is sometimes required that they shall be turned in a given direction and at other times in an opposite direction to suit the exigencies of the case. We rovidea power transmission means by whic the rolls may be rotated in either direction by the simple shifting movement of a clutch lever. To the shafts 52 and 55 are connected the spur gears 117 and 118, respectively, by keys or otherwise, so that the said spur gears 117 and 118 are fastened to the respective shafts and will be positively turned thereby. In the bracket bearings 50 and 51 are supported two coaxially arranged shafts 120 and 121 respectively, and surrounding said shafts, and freely rotating thereon are sleeves similar to sleeve 60 to which are connected spur gears 122 and 123, respectively, said spur gears having driving connection with the spur gears 117 and 118 respectively.

\Vhen the bevel gear 46, secure on the shaft 42, is rotated with the spur gears 117 and 118, it turns the shafts on which they are secured through the bevel gear 53 and 56 in opposite directions, and through the respective gears the shafts 120 and 121 are rotated in opposite directions. A clutch 125, similar in all essential respects to the clutch 6 1, heretofore described in detail, is located between the spur gears 122 and 123. On each side of the central clutch member is a sleeve overlying the respective shafts 120 and 121 and provided with engaging notches similar to the notches 63 in the sleeve 60. To these sleeves the geared pinions 122 and 123 are respectively secured. The clutch ring 126 iscircumferentially grooved as at 127, similarlyto the roove 69 made in the clutch ring 64, hereto ore described. The clutch rin 126 also carries two slidable keys 128 an 128, shown in dottedlines in Fig. 4,

adapted to slide over the underlying supporting sleeve and for clutching engagement with the notches made on diametrically opposite sides of the rotating sleeve members to which the respective geared pinions 122 and 123 are-secured. When the clutch members are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the

respective key or feather members are not in engagement with the notches of either of the sleeve clutch members and therefore, the pinions 122 and 123 will continue to be idly driven by the respective pinions 117 and 118.

A fork member 129 is contained in the an- 1 nular groove 127 of the clutch ring 126 and is secured to a clip 129 which is slidably supported on shaft 73. The yoke'128 may be reciprocated by means of a controller lever 131, which is pivoted at 132, and to the lower end 133 is pivotally connected to link 134, which latter is pivotally connected, by means of a screw 130, to the cli 128, so that when the lever 131'is moved ackward or forward the clutch ring 126 is laterally moved to engage the respective clutch member associated with the gear pinions 122 and 123, as the case may be, so that the wringer, which is driven by the shaft 120 may be rotated in either direction depending upon the position of the clutch ring member with respect to the sleeve members, which are controlled by the shifting lever 131. In bracket bearing 135, which is secured to the leg 13 of the structure, the shaft, 120, finds bearing. ()11 the outer end of the shaft is a sprocketchain wheel, 136, securely fast to the said shaft.

Upon bracket 138, Figs. 1 and 1, is mounted a shaft 139 carrying on its outer end a sprocket gear wheel 110 and on its inner end a slotted sleeve 141, for engagement with the shaft- 30 of the wringer 27. The pin 142 enters the slot in the sleeve and is a means by which the wringer roll may be positively driven from the shaft 139, and it further provides a convenient means by which the wringer may be readily and quickly detached from the driving mechanism. The sprocket wheels 136 and .140 are connected by means of a sprocket chain 143. A housing 115 protects the sprocket chain, gears, and shafts. A protecting apron 118, preferably of sheet iron is hinged as at 14.9 to the frame 32 to protect the transmitting mechanism from damage resulting-from water or from contact with moving objects. A strip of water proof flexible material 150, such as rubber, is at tached to the frame 32 as by tacks 151 and overlies the joint between the frame and apron to shed the water that would otherwise find its way behind the apron and injure the machinery contained Within the housing partly provided by said apron. Arch-shaped stops, 152, are provided to hold the said apron out of direct contact with the underlying transmission machinery.

It will be observed that when the clutch members are in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the motor may be rotated continuously without driving the washing apparatus or the wringer, and that either of these devices may be driven independently of each other and that the direction of; rotation of the Wringer may be quickly reversed, without interfering with the operation of the washer.

While we have herein illustrated a spe cific embodiment of our invention, as asso ciated with a washing and wringer machine, it will be apparent that the same may be used in numerous other environments where similar transmission of power is desirable,

and that many changes may be made in the 'parts of the transmission device without changing its advantageous operation as herein disclosed and withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a constantly rotatable power shaft, a beveled 'gear thereon, a train of gears on each side of the said beveled gear, each train carrying a cooperating beveled gear engaging the v first mentioned beveled gear on opposite sides of its axis, a device to be rotated, a power-transmitting means adapted for connection to either of said trains of gears, and a clutch between said trains of gears for connecting either of said trains to the said power-transmitting means.

2. In a device of the character described, 20

a stationary structure, power transmission inechanlsm secured to a vertlcal Wall of sand structure, an overhanging projecting wall from sald vertical Wall, and an apron hinged to the outer edge of said projecting 25 wall to partially house said transmission mechanism.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our 

